add special character as glyph or font

[notannhavoc]

I hae a book  that uses   a special handdrawn image  for the  word "AND" - this image is used several times per page at different sizes as part of  normal text. I've been trying to figure a way to make it into a glyph and add that or to make it a font [it is only the word "and"] to avoid having to place it as an image  every time and then  having to resize it. Think of it like an emoji - can I make  the "and" into a glyph? or a font? I've made the "and"  into an svg file via Illustrator and  tried things like fontforge and birdfont  but am not able to create the font

[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

Some very clever people have made a way to do it for sure

https://typography.guru/journal/generating-a-logo-font-directly-in-indesign-r15/

(link seems to  be broken now??)

https://www.indiscripts.com/post/2012/06/indyfont-build-opentype-fonts-from-within-indesign

[jmlevy]

The 2 links given by @Eugene Tyson refer to the same product: Indyfont, which is exactly what you need.

[notannhavoc]

thank you - I tried it and liked it - however - I keep gettign stack overflow error - I've reduced the number of anchor points drastically but am still gettign the error. Windows 10, ID 18.5 - lots of memory. I've  created the path in ID using the pen tool and then adjusted  teh bezier curves to try to match - so there are really minimal points. I tried with a simple shape [rectangle] and that worked but   it really doesn't like my "and". Made sure to drop onto  green layer and  fill with black form InDEsign

[jmlevy]

@notannhavoc I am afraid I can't help you, I am a simple user. You should contact Marc Autret, who is the co-author of Indyfont. 

[pixxxelschubser]

… I tried it and liked it - however - I keep gettign stack overflow error - I've reduced the number of anchor points drastically but am still gettign the error…

By @notannhavoc

That's really strange.

It works for me. I tried IndyFont Tryout with our old company logo (and that has a lot more anchor points than a normal character) and it works as expected.

[jmlevy · Accepted solution]

Did you contact Marc Autret or is it a chance? Answer is here, given by Marc:

https://twitter.com/indiscripts/status/1690354835101528064?s=20

[notannhavoc]

yes - thank you - and he replied and  discovered the problem. So as I understand, the image must be generated within ID [be filled with black and be on green "outline" layer  -copying  from other  apps [Illustrator, corel Draw, photoshop in a variety of formats: svg, eps pdf, ai]  does not work. My workaround for complex images is to use layers and work in a separate ID file

1. Place image in ID

2. Object - Clipping path - detect edges or alpha channel 

1. duplicate path
2. copy compound path to new layer [ either copy/paste or move directly within layer window]
3. select  path and fill with black
4. copy to Indyfont file [check green layer to make sure it  is simply a path not a link to source image]
5. run script 

HOWEVER - a much simpler approach as provided by Marc Autret himself is to simply delete while on the  green outline layer - select the item and use the "select content" button  [see attached] and delete - then what is left is the compound path.

Wow - I never knew about this button!

thanks one and all!

[notannhavoc]

Also, Marc provided a short script for  removing all imported graphics from the active document

//------------------------------------------------------

// Remove all imported graphics.

var a=app.properties.activeDocument.links.everyItem();

for( var i=a.isValid&&(a=a.parent).length ; i-- ; ) try{ a[i].remove() }catch(_){}

//------------------------------------------------------

[This saves you from manually redoing the cleaning for each glyph. Import your shapes, convert and fill, then run the script.]

[notannhavoc]

and I should have explained - using the "select content" button - you can import from other  apps and place  on teh green "outline " layer in ID - no need for workaround!